Vires and Constantia
by Roschelle Templar
Summary: He had to know if Laguna was still alive and until he did, he would keep searching. One-shot


Author's Note: New story. This one is a little different from my usual stuff, but once the idea came to me, I just couldn't stop thinking about it until I wrote it out. This story takes place during the game from when Laguna, Kiros and Ward escape from the Crystal Pillar and Centra until Kiros meets up with Laguna again in Winhill.

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who reads/favorites/reviews this. It is always appreciated. :)

Vires and Constantia

One night while staring at the neon lights that illuminated Deling City, Kiros Seagill finally decided that he could not stay here any longer. It was time for him to leave.

* * *

It had been a month since he and Ward had escaped from Centra and were found by some Galbadian soldiers who were patrolling the shores near Timber. Kiros had immediately asked if Laguna had also ended up here, but none of the soldiers he talked to had heard anything about him. The soldiers transported both him and Ward back to Deling where they spent time at the military hospital, recovering from their injuries. Although they were both told that they were welcome to stay and join another unit, both Kiros and Ward decided to leave the army instead.

At first, they were at a loss as to what they should do next. But then a friend of Ward's from another battalion was able to put in a good word so he could land a job at the D-District Prison. Ward had asked Kiros if he wanted to see if he could get a job here too, but Kiros declined the offer, unable to provide an explanation as to why.

It was a couple weeks after Ward started to work there that Kiros announced that he was leaving to go look for Laguna. The two of them had met at one of the favorite bars on the outskirts of Deling after one of Ward's shifts. Ward was completely silent, but Kiros had learned to communicate with him during their time spent at the hospital, and thus, he was able to carry on a conversation with him just like old times.

"I've asked everyone I can think of around here, but no one has seen him or heard anything,"Kiros had said as he stared at the bitter, amber-colored liquor in his glass. "So I'm going to head back to Centra to see if I can find anything."

"…."

"Yeah, I know, but don't worry," Kiros had said after draining his glass. "I plan sticking to the areas near Galbadian stronghold there. I have no desire to run into any more Esthar soldiers any time soon."

"…."

"Well, it's not like I have much else to do, and you have to admit that it's been really dull without him around," Kiros smirked. "And besides, you know Laguna: he's probably gotten himself into another mess by now, so someone has to help him straighten it out."

The conversation went on like that for several more minutes with the usual banter between old friends who shared more with a joke than many others did with hours of words. It wasn't until Kiros stood up and started to walk toward the door that he was finally able to be honest with Ward.

"I have to find him," Kiros said, his back to Ward. "I have to know if he's still alive. And until I know, I will keep searching."

* * *

"Sorry, haven't heard about anyone finding a soldier who was injured around here, other than you and that guy you were with, of course."

"It's all right," Kiros said to the soldier manning the gate to the outpost. "Thank you for your time." The man nodded and went back to his duties while Kiros began to walk toward the transport station leading out of Centra, his weeks spent here failing to produce any results.

Kiros squinted as he took in the barren scenery that was punctuated with a few clumps of dense forests. He knew that most of the soldiers from Galbadia hated to be assigned to this area because it was so hot and empty with forests that were tangled and wild, but Kiros never minded it. It reminded him a lot of the lands his tribe roamed around in while he was growing up. It had actually been a huge adjustment for him when he left his homeland at the age of seventeen and ended up in the more fertile plain areas around Deling, intent on joining the military.

"_You sure you're eighteen?" the recruiter said, eyeing him with more than a little suspicion._

"_That's what is written on the form," Kiros said, not caring that it was a lie. "Why? Is there a problem?"_

"_Tch, no problem," the man said. "If you're that eager to get yourself killed, why should I care?"_

_Kiros said nothing as the man stamped a few forms and gave him papers that told him where which unit he would be assigned to. After meeting with the man who would be his commanding officer and dropping off his few belongings at the barracks, Kiros went to get his uniform and put it on, except for the helmet. He then wandered around the base, pointedly ignoring the usual stares and whispers that he had endured ever since he started to travel outside his homelands. He paused and decided to get something to eat when he suddenly felt something collide into him from behind. _

"_Ooops sorry about that."_

_Kiros whirled around and was faced with a shorter man with raven-black hair and eyes that shone like emeralds. _

"_I'm sorry," the man repeated. "Didn't mean to bump into you like that. I was supposed to meet my friend for lunch and I guess I got lost again. This place is really big, don't you think?" _

"_I suppose," Kiros said. "I just got here, so I haven't had much of a chance to look around. But if it's the cafeteria you're looking for, I believe it's over this way."_

"_Really? Hey thanks," the man said, scratching the back of his head. "I've been here a couple weeks, but for some reason, I keep forgetting where it is. Say…are you headed that way too? We could go together."_

"_So you won't get lost again?" Kiros said with a smirk. _

"_Hey, that's harsh," the man said, waving his hand. "And here I was just trying to be friendly." Kiros' smile grew. He wasn't sure why, but something about this man made him feel more at ease than he had in months._

"_Forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude," he said. "We can go together if you want."_

"_Great!" the man said, holding out his hand. "I'm Laguna Loire. Pleased to meet ya." _

_Kiros took the hand and shook it while noting the grin on Laguna's face. It was open and sincere and it matched the warm light in his eyes._

"_Kiros Seagill," he replied. "And it is good to meet you too, Laguna."_

"_All right, let's go," Laguna said. "I promised Ward that I would meet him an hour ago, and I'm sure that he's getting hungry by now."_

Kiros stood quietly at the station and watched the transport come into view. As luck would have it, he was assigned to the same unit as Laguna, and his friend, Ward Zabac, and so he ended up getting to know both of them and spending most of his time with them. Kiros sometimes wondered what his life in the military would have been like if he hadn't met Laguna that day or had turned down Laguna's offer to join him.

'_Probably would have gotten into far less scrapes than I did…Would have been sent to more favorable outposts too. Laguna always did have a way of ending up in the worst possible situations.'_

He soon realized though that if it hadn't been for Laguna, his military service would have been exactly as he had imagined it would be when he signed up: a life only fully realized in battle and spent in intractable isolation outside of it. With just a few words and a smile, Laguna had completely erased that destiny and replaced it with a far more uncertain path.

"Attention, all passengers leaving Centra, please report to the red gate for boarding."

Kiros stretched and strolled toward the gate. He wasn't able to find any leads and thus, he was unsure of where he should go next. He then decided that he would get off at the first stop on this transport's route and begin his search there.

* * *

His destination ended up being Dollet.

Kiros had hoped that a city full of wealthy residents who were prone to travel might give him something to go on, but he soon ran out of people to talk to and was no closer to finding a lead. Once he realized that there was nothing here for him to help him in his search, Kiros was eager to leave. The people in the city were congenial enough, but Kiros found the atmosphere too stilted and steeped in leisure for his taste. About a month after he first arrived, he used the last of his traveling money to buy a ticket for a boat bound for Balamb.

On the night he departed, Kiros stayed at the docks for hours and watched the sun shimmer on the water as it set. This evening reminded him of the day when he found out that everyone in his tribe, including his few remaining relatives, had perished trying to fight off a group of Behemoths that had invaded their territory. It had been less than six months after he had joined the military, and for the next three years after that, on the anniversary of that date, Kiros always found an excuse to spend the day alone to reflect on everything that he had lost.

It wasn't until his fourth year of service that this ritual came to an end.

"_Kiros? Where are you?"_

_Kiros sighed and shook his head. Laguna had headed for Deling with Ward a couple hours ago, and Kiros thought that they wouldn't be back until tomorrow at the earliest. Thus, he was surprised and a little disappointed to hear Laguna's voice calling him from the forest behind the lake he was currently sitting in front of. He thought about remaining silent and waiting to see if Laguna would leave, but then it occurred to him that Laguna could get lost trying to find his way out of that forest and then he would have to spend who knows how long looking for him._

"_I'm over here," Kiros shouted back at him. He then listened to the rustling of leaves and branches which soon led to Laguna bursting out from the foliage. _

"_There you are," Laguna grinned as he walked over to him. "I heard that you had come out here, but I had no idea that there were so many trails in that forest. How's a guy supposed to find this lake anyway without a map?"_

"_Laguna, what are you doing here?" Kiros said. "I thought you were going to go drinking with Ward." Laguna shrugged and plopped down to sit beside him._

"_Ah Ward ditched me the moment we arrived," he said. "There was this lady near the car rental place, and Ward ran off saying she was an old friend and that he had promised to take her to dinner the next time he saw her. Can you believe him? Abandoning me like that just so he can go on a date?"_

"_I certainly can if she was pretty enough," Kiros smirked at him. "Especially if she can tolerate more than two drinks without getting drunk and sleepy like you."_

"_Whatever man," Laguna scowled at him. "So…why are you here anyway?" Kiros' smile faded and he turned his gaze back toward the water._

"_No real reason," he said quietly. "Just to think."_

"_To think?" Laguna echoed. "About what?" Kiros let out a long sigh._

"_About a lot of things," he said. "About the past, about home, about people…people who are no longer here."_

"_People you lost?" Laguna said, his tone somber. Kiros nodded. "You did this on this same day last year, didn't you?" Kiros nodded again. "Because this was when you lost them?"_

_Kiros turned his face toward the ground, his throat beginning to catch. When he was alone, it had been easy to keep his feelings under control, letting them drift while he focused on his memories. But Laguna's words were bringing those feelings to the surface, and he felt himself teetering closer and closer to emotions he had tried to avoid. _

"_I'm sorry," Laguna said. Kiros blinked and looked over at him._

"_For what?"_

"_For not noticing before now," Laguna replied. "You never did talk about your family, and I guess I never thought about it. And I remember now that you've been doing this every year for years. I just never put the crumbles together."_

"_It's pieces," Kiros said with a wan smile. "Not crumbles."_

"_Pieces, crumbles, who cares?" Laguna said. "I'm just trying to say that I'm sorry that I didn't figure it out before."_

"_It's all right," Kiros said. "I never would have asked you to."_

_Laguna nodded and fidgeted as they both looked at the lake and spent the next few moments in silence._

"_Laguna?"_

"_Hmmm?"_

"_Do you have any family? Anyone you left behind when you signed up?"_

"_I used to," Laguna said. "Dad died when I was a baby, but I had my mom. After I finished school, I stayed in Deling for a couple years, trying to find work to support her, but then my mom died so I decided to give the army a try. I didn't have any other family."_

"_I see," Kiros said. "Then we are both alone."_

"_I guess we are," Laguna said. He was quiet for a minute more before he jumped up to his feet and held out his arms._

"_Hey, how about the two of us go back to Deling?" he said. "Ward can have his date and we can go have fun on our own."_

"_Laguna, I…I don't think I can…." Laguna walked over and placed a hand on Kiros' shoulder. _

"_Sure you can," Laguna smiled at him. "Listen, maybe we don't have any blood relatives left, but that doesn't mean we have to be alone. We have each other, and that's a start, right? So maybe instead of mourning we should go out and celebrate: celebrate our memories of them and all the memories we'll have in the future." Laguna held out his hand, and Kiros was about to take it when he hesitated._

"_I understand what you are doing," he said. "But I don't know if I can promise that I will be very good company."Laguna grinned again and grabbed his hand so he could help him stand up._

"_Don't worry about it, it'll be fine," he assured him. "I'm sure I can find some way to cheer you up. You'll see."_

A passing boat let out a sonorous wail as it pulled into the port. Kiros smiled as he thought about how ridiculous that night had ended up being and how he and Ward had had to wrack their brains for hours the next day, trying to come up a plausible lie that would explain why Laguna had spent the night sleeping on the piano in the Galbadia Hotel's lounge.

It had also been the start of a new tradition that had Laguna taking him out for a night of crazy antics in Deling every year on that same date. It often led to trouble, but Kiros could not deny that it was also the very thing that helped him finally moved past the sorrow that had been so firmly entwined in his memories for so long.

'_I better find him before he goes out drinking again,' _Kiros thought to himself. '_Or someone less forgiving might end up throwing him in jail for more than just one night. And who's going to bail him out if that happens?'_

Kiros took in a deep breath, savoring the salty air as the ship floated toward him.

* * *

Balamb had turned out to be even less beneficial for his search than Dollet, but Kiros stayed there for almost three months anyway, mainly because he needed to replenish his funds so he could continue his journey. At first, he had struggled to find work and ended up taking lots of odd jobs, but then he discovered plenty of people who needed someone to help protect them from the local monsters. Thus, Kiros ended up escorting travelers and rooting out small monster infestations as a way to make an income.

This was his favorite type of work by far. Fighting was the tradition and creed of his tribe. It was in his blood. His childhood had been spent learning about hand-to-hand combat, about how to wield his katal, and how to remain strong and prepared for the battlefield at all times.

But unlike most of the members of his tribe who fought solely for the thrill of battle, Kiros was attuned to the older, more traditional motivations of his people which included an all-consuming need to find a purpose to the battles: to find something or someone to protect and fight for. This had frequently made him an outsider within his own tribe and even within his own family as this need, along with his deep, caring nature, caused him to be labeled as weak and timid.

It was his grandmother, who had been his primary caregiver growing up, who pulled him aside on his seventeenth birthday and encouraged him to leave his homeland.

"_Kiros, you are of the old ways, ways our people have lost too long ago. You have the spirit of the warrior and the heart to nurture those around you. Listen when I say that this tribe will not last for many more generations. And that is why I am asking you to leave: leave before these people have a chance to corrupt your heart and spirit, leave and live the life we were meant to live even as our people's time reaches its twilight. Find the purpose you are meant to serve and place all of your strength, all of your spirit and heart, behind it." _

Despite the treatment he often received, Kiros was reluctant to leave, but he knew in his heart that he had to heed his grandmother's words. He had hoped to find this purpose while in the Galbadian military, but it didn't take long for him to realize that he had no attachment to the country and politicians he was serving. Thus, there were many times when he thought about quitting.

"_Laguna, why did you join?" Kiros asked one day. Laguna looked over at him and tilted his head, his green eyes quizzical._

"_What do you mean?" he asked._

"_You keep saying that you don't really like the fighting," Kiros continued. "So why did you sign up for the military?"_

"_Oh that," Laguna said with a laugh. "Well it seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, you get to travel, the pay is decent, and you do learn about a lot of different things."_

"_Is that all it is?" Kiros asked him. _

"_Mostly," Laguna shrugged. "It's not like I think I'm going to make a huge impact in the military. I'm not any good at being a soldier."_

"_I can't argue with that," Kiros smirked at him. "Ward and I are still convinced that your promotion to team commander was an administrative error."_

"_Maybe I'm just the only one who can tolerate you and Ward and your lame jokes for any length of time," Laguna pouted._

_Kiros smirked again, but held his tongue. Despite the way both he and Ward picked on him, and Laguna's own self-depreciating remarks, Kiros knew that Laguna was being modest about his abilities. While it was true that Laguna was not good at keeping strict protocol and behaving like a traditional soldier, the fact remained that he was a brave and highly-skilled fighter. Kiros had lost track of the number of times Laguna had saved his life, and he was grateful to have a natural warrior like him as his commander. _

"_But I…I guess another reason why is because I feel that helping and protecting others is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life, you know," Laguna added. "When I'm doing that, everything else seems to make more sense. The only other time when I feel like that is when I'm writing. So I guess I'll keep doing this until I find something else."_

Until that fateful event in Centra that led to Laguna's disappearance, Kiros never again contemplated leaving the army after his talk with Laguna that day. Even though he felt no tie binding him to Galbadia, he eventually realized that he had found his reason, his purpose, and he was determined to stay close to it for as long as he was alive.

* * *

Once he was able to travel again, his next destination was Timber.

As Kiros walked the city streets, he could not help but notice the large number of Galbadian soldiers wandering around. He remembered being on the fringes of Galbadia's assault and eventual takeover of Timber, and he was glad now that he had been such an insignificant participant. It wasn't hard to see how capricious the soldiers were being with their newfound power over Timber nor was it difficult to see how much the residents despised them and Galbadia for it. For one of the few times in his life, Kiros found his outsider status in relation to Galbadia to be to his advantage.

Unfortunately, Galbadia's stronghold on the city and the citizens' hate for anything related to it made it so that Kiros had to proceed slowly and cautiously when making inquiries about Laguna. Weeks were spent building up contacts just so he could find out if they knew anything about Laguna and all of these turned out to be dead ends. He continued to find steady work with a variety of temporary jobs, including a short stint at the local magazine, Timber Maniacs, which he stayed with until he was ready to leave Timber.

The same week he was about to leave, he found time to share a long lunch with the head editor, who he had become friendly with.

"Sorry to see you go, Seagill," the man said. "Not many hard workers like you these days. Most of the people around here are too busy loathing Galbadia to find much motivation to do anything else."

"Thank you," Kiros said. "I enjoyed my time here."

"Say, maybe you can still help me out after all," the editor said. "I've been getting a lot of letters from our readers saying that they want to see more articles about other places, travel and all that. And I hear that you've spent a lot of time traveling yourself and plan to do some more. Maybe you'd like to write some short pieces about your experiences."

"Again, thank you, but I'm afraid I'm not much of a writer," Kiros said, shaking his head.

"Ah, it was worth a try," the man said. "But if you know anyone who's done a lot of traveling who can write halfway decent stuff, please let me know, all right?"

"Actually, there is someone I know," Kiros said, putting his hand to his chin. "A friend of mine who spent some time in the military. The two of us traveled quite a bit, and he is a great writer. He's been wanting a chance to become a journalist for a long time."

"Sounds great," the editor said. "Send him my way when you get the chance. I'll be sure to check out his stuff, and if he is even half as good as you say he is, I'll probably give him a job."

"I will be sure to do that," Kiros assured him.

"In the meantime, I have to deal with all this celebrity gossip to keep people entertained," the man sighed. "Like this bit here, about that singer, Julia Heartilly. According to the rumor mill, she's engaged to be married, to one of the top generals in the Galbadia army no less. Tch, I wonder how her fans here in Timber will feel about that if it's true."

Kiros nodded but said nothing as the talk then drifted to more casual topics. He remembered how infatuated Laguna was with Julia, and he wondered how his friend would take it once he found out about this.

'_Does he still think about her after all this time? Has she wondered about what happened to him? What would happen if they saw each other again?'_

It suddenly occurred to Kiros that he continued to think of Laguna as if he was still alive and waiting to be found, despite the fact that months had passed and he still hadn't found any evidence to prove it. Everything from his thoughts about Julia and how he was already planning to introduce Laguna to this editor attested to that.

Truthfully, Kiros knew that that was how it had to be if he wanted to be able to find the strength to continue on in his quest.

* * *

Three months later, Kiros stood in front of a frost tinged window in a hotel room in Trabia, frowning at the snow blanketing the ground.

He had known when he chose Trabia for his next destination that it was a cold, harsh land and he had prepared for it before his trip there, but that did not lessen his disdain over spending an extended amount of time there, especially given how he had to stay an extra week due to inclement weather making it impossible to travel.

Kiros stared at the bleak landscape outside, his eyes burning coals of frustration. It had now been nine months since he had begun his search and he was no closer to finding out about Laguna's fate than he was on the very first day of his journey.

The wind blasted swirls of snow against the window pane, creating an icy draft, but still Kiros did not move. The sharpest chill outside could not compare with the hollow that had begun to form inside of him. Nine months of fruitless searching had worn his spirit thin and it made him question why he continued in this quest.

A couple months back, Ward had finally been able to get a message to him. It had been a lighthearted note asking about his travels and catching him up on his own life. But it was the last line that Kiros continued to remember for weeks afterward.

"_How much longer are you going to keep searching for him?"_

Even after all this time, Kiros had still not bothered to send a message back. He simply did not want to answer the question Ward had posed because that same question haunted him almost every day now.

Kiros felt his eyelids begin to droop, but instead of moving toward the bed, he stepped over to the window, hoping that the cold that continued to seep in would keep him awake. Ever since he had arrived in Trabia, his dreams had centered around the day that he, Ward and Laguna had tried to escape from Centra.

_After Laguna had thrown him and Ward off the cliff, Kiros had managed to drag Ward toward one of the boats. Both he and Ward then used the last of their strength to pull themselves into the abandoned vessel and release the tie latching it to the shore. Then Kiros watched as Laguna tried to jump off the cliff, only to fall badly and smash his body against the rocks several times on the way down before hitting the water. _

_For several seconds, Laguna did not resurface, and Kiros was frightened that he never would. Then he saw Laguna's body bob along on the water and saw him struggle to move let alone swim. Kiros heard Laguna let out an inarticulate cry as he made contact with the frigid water, and he leaned against the side of the boat, straining his arms out in an attempt to reach Laguna._

"_Laguna!" he shouted, his voice fatigued and rough from his own wounds. "I'm here. Grab my hand and I'll pull you in."_

_Laguna did not answer him, but Kiros saw him lift his hand toward the boat, his entire body shaking from the exertion. Kiros extended his arm as far as he could, desperately clawing at the air and water to reach Laguna._

_The currents suddenly picked up, however, and Laguna was swept away from the boat and out toward the vastness of the sea. Kiros was certain that he heard Laguna call for him with a pain ravaged voice, and his heart constricted at the sound. Kiros was aware that his injuries had seriously depleted his stamina and that it was doubtful that he had the strength to swim out and drag Laguna back to the boat. Also, Ward had fallen unconscious and would probably not be able to maneuver the boat so they could escape Centra. _

_It was then that Kiros was faced with the worst decision of his life: to risk throwing away his life and Ward's on the faint possibility that he could save Laguna or to stay in the boat and be certain that he and Ward would make it while leaving Laguna's fate to chance. _

_Kiros heard Laguna's voice again, and he squeezed his eyes shut to block out the sound. He ignored every instinct that was woven into the fiber of his being and stayed where he was, even though at the time, he was almost certain that he had sentenced Laguna to death. _

_A couple moments later, he realized that he had not heard anything else from Laguna and he opened his eyes and scanned the water to see that Laguna had vanished. He stared dully at the sea for several minutes before slowly and mechanically steering the boat toward Galbadia._

Kiros had thought about these memories several times over the past few months, but he never focused on them, figuring that it was useless to dwell on the past. Nowadays, however, these memories had invaded his slumber and threatened to overwhelm his waking hours as well.

"_How much longer are you going to keep searching for him?"_

Kiros' hands curled into fists as rage uncoiled inside him. He was angry at having to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in Trabia. He was angry at Ward for being able to move on with his life instead of joining him on this search. He was angry at Laguna for getting lost in Centra in the first place and for inspiring this seemingly hopeless quest.

Most of all though he was angry at himself for failing to save his commander, his friend, his brother.

"_How much longer are you going to keep searching for him?"_

The question continued to reverberate in Kiros' brain, loud and persistent. He knew that he would have to come to terms with this question before he could do anything else, and as a result, he spent many hours pondering it.

Suddenly, another memory popped into his head, a memory of one of the reasons why he was not fond of Trabia.

_As a form of punishment for an imagined slight, the captain of their unit had assigned Laguna, Kiros and Ward to an outpost a few miles from the Shumi settlement in Trabia. Thankfully, it was not going to be a long assignment, but both he and Ward made sure to grumble loudly at Laguna for putting them in this situation._

_One day they were patrolling the area when a rogue Snow Lion surprised them. The beast managed to clamp its huge sharp teeth into Kiros' shoulder before Laguna and Ward could finish it off. Then began the frantic ministrations to stop the bleeding and a debate about how to get Kiros the treatment he needed. A snowstorm had started to rage, and Kiros would not be able to travel under his own power. Eventually, it was decided that Ward would go back to the outpost alone while Laguna stayed behind and tended to Kiros until he returned with help. _

_Laguna had managed to drag Kiros to the shelter of a cave carved into a nearby mountain and had started a fire. _

"_Here Kiros," Laguna said as he held Kiros close to him. "This should help keep you warm. Just hold on until Ward gets back."_

"_Laguna," Kiros rasped, every nerve in his body screaming with pain. "You…you should go…the storm…leave me…."_

"_Kiros, that's not cool," Laguna said. "And you shouldn't be talking anyway. So stay quiet and let me take care of this."_

"_Laguna," Kiros gasped out. "The Snow Lion…probably not alone….leave me…."_

"_Shut up!" Laguna said. "I said I got this, all right?" Laguna hung his head for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking down at him with another one of his trademark grins. _

"_There's no point in me leaving anyway," he said. "Ward took the map with him. There's no way I could find my way back. You know that."_

"_Laguna," Kiros said, his voice a hoarse whisper._

"_Yeah?"_

"_You're a moron, you know that?" _

"_That's Commander Moron to you, and don't you forget it."_

_Kiros smirked at him and they shared a laugh for a moment before Kiros groaned and closed his eyes._

"_No, no don't do that," Laguna said, distraught. "Kiros…"_

"_It's all right," Kiros murmured. "I…I won't go anywhere. Just…talk to me."_

"_About what?"_

"_Anything," Kiros breathed. "Don't care…just…talk….I'll listen…promise…."_

Kiros touched the area near his shoulder where he still bore the scar from that attack. He didn't mind having it. Scars like that were a badge of honor among his people, proof of their power and their will to survive. As he traced his fingers along the fabric over his skin, he thought about how Laguna had spent almost an hour babbling away until Ward was able to return with more soldiers and a transport. In that sense, the scar was also a reminder of bond between himself and Laguna.

Now, however, it was a bitter souvenir that forced him to think about his failure and his loss.

"_How much longer are you going to keep searching for him?"_

Kiros closed his eyes and dropped down to the floor, bowing his head. He remained that way for the rest of the night, trying to find the courage to face the days ahead of him.

* * *

A little over two months later, Kiros was sitting on a pier at Fisherman's Horizon. He had gone there as soon as he left Trabia and while he yielded no useful results for his search, he found himself reluctant to leave. He enjoyed the quietly industrious atmosphere of the place and the fact that the residents were welcoming despite his being an obvious outsider. He considered staying here permanently several times over the weeks that he was here.

"There you are, Seagill," a man many referred to as the "Master Fisherman" said as he walked up to him, his pole resting on his shoulder. "You here to fish today or to think?"

"Hello," Kiros smiled at him. "Just thinking today, thank you."

"I see," the Master Fisherman said, sitting down next to him. They remained that way for several minutes until the man looked over at him, his expression serious.

"You are leaving us soon, aren't you?" he asked.

"I…."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, you know," the Master Fisherman said. "You're a smart man, Seagill, and you learn quickly. I'm sure any of the craftsmen here will be happy to keep you on as an assistant." The man then let out a big sigh and turned to cast his line into the water.

"But you won't, will you?" he said. "You'll be moving on because it's what you want to do. No, what you need to do. You need to continue your search."

Kiros nodded silently. It hadn't been easy, but while he was here he had finally made peace with his decision to keep looking for Laguna, no matter how long it took.

"You do know that the odds are against you at this point, right?" the Master Fisherman continued. "That the chances of you ever finding out about your friend are slim to none."

"I know," Kiros said. "I suppose that makes me a fool."

"No, not a fool," the man said. "This person you are looking for: he must be an extraordinary man."

"What makes you say that?" Kiros said, quizzical. The Master Fisherman laughed and adjusted his hold on his pole.

"Because he has someone like you searching the world for him."

* * *

A few weeks later, Kiros was wandering into a tiny village that identified itself as Winhill. It had been a year now since he had begun searching for Laguna Loire, and while he did not feel any closer to the answers he sought, he had learned to find purpose and strength in the journey itself. As he walked along the quiet streets of the city, he contemplated how peaceful it was and how it seemed like a nice place to take a short break from traveling.

That is, until he saw the Bite Bugs flying past one of the houses.

Kiros frowned and quickly dispatched them, hoping that the residents could breathe a little easier now that they were gone. He then spotted a sign on one of the buildings indicating that it was a pub and decided to go in. At counter was a woman with brunette hair and sky-blue eyes.

"Hello," she said, smiling. "Welcome. My name is Raine. How can I help you today?" Kiros smiled back, charmed at her quiet, but friendly demeanor.

"The name is Kiros, and a drink would be wonderful," he said walking up to her. He made his request, and she quickly mixed it up for him before sitting the glass in front of him.

"Anything else?" she asked. Kiros took a couple of sips before answering.

"Actually, there is one other thing," he said. "I'm…."

"Aunt Raine!"

Both Raine and Kiros looked over at the staircase to see a little girl in a blue dress dash down the steps and run over to them. She looked up at Kiros and tilted his head.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"A visitor," Kiros said, smiling at her.

"Oh," the girl said, seemingly satisfied. "Raine, when is Uncle Laguna going to get up?" Kiros' eyes widened in shock.

'_Uncle Laguna?'_

'_Is it possible…could it be….?'_

"Any time now," Raine answered her. "It's almost time for him to start work."

"Excuse me," Kiros said, placing his trembling hands on the counter. "Did you say that you were waiting for someone named Laguna?"

"Yes," Raine said. "Why?"

"Laguna Loire? He used to be a Galbadian soldier?"

"Why yes, actually," Raine said, surprise coloring her tone. "He showed up here gravely injured about a year ago, but he's was able to recover. Do you know him? Is he a friend of yours?" Kiros lowered his head.

"Yes, yes he is," he muttered. "He's…an old friend."

"Well he should be…Ellone! Ellone, don't run out that door," Raine yelled. "Ouu, that girl. I'm going to have to have another talk with her. Oh, and you're welcome to wait here for Laguna, if you would like."

"Thank you," Kiros said, his voice low. "Please excuse me for a minute."

Raine nodded and Kiros stepped off to a corner of the bar and crouched down, settling on his heels.

'_Alive…I…I didn't think I would…that he would still be….'_

A few moments later, he heard Raine scolding the girl she called Ellone, and he glanced over to see Laguna standing nearby. He watched the scene play out in silent awe before finally pulling himself together and walking back over to the bar.

"It's been a while, Laguna," he said quietly.

"Kiros!" Laguna said, stretching his arms outward. Kiros smiled as he saw that the grin on Laguna's face and the joyous sparkle in his eyes mirrored the elation he felt in his own heart perfectly. After reassuring Ellone that Kiros could be trusted, Laguna walked over to him.

"You seem well," Kiros said. Laguna's grin grew.

"Yeah. You too."

Kiros smiled back and the two of them shared a short, intense embrace before turning toward the bar and Raine.

"Hey, how long has it been?" Laguna asked, putting his hand to his chin. "You know, our grand escape from Centra?"

* * *

Later that evening, he and Laguna were sitting outside next to the pub, each of them slowly nursing a drink. He had finished an eventful day of patrolling the village and eliminating numerous monsters with Laguna, and although it had been both familiar and exhilarating to be fighting again with his old comrade, he was eager to relax for a while.

As Laguna told him more about his time spent here in Winhill, Kiros continued to marvel at how Laguna had changed. He was more responsible and at least a little more conscientious in how he acted and even seemed happier than he was before.

Not that he minded these changes. To Kiros, it wasn't so much that Laguna had become someone different, but instead became more like the person he always had the potential to be.

Kiros looked over to see soft lights still emanating from the windows of the pub. He suspected that Raine and Ellone had a large hand in prompting these changes, and he found himself extremely grateful that they had been the ones to find and care of Laguna for all this time.

"Laguna," Kiros said. Laguna turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking," Kiros continued. "If you need to stay here for more than a little while longer, that would be fine."

"Really?" Laguna said, another grin lighting up his face. "But what about you?" Kiros leaned back to rest against the wall of the pub.

"I've been journeying for a long time," he said. "I could use a chance to rest, and this seems like a good place to stop….that is, if it is all right with you and Raine."

"Of course," Laguna said. "And you're right, you know. It is a good place."

Kiros nodded again, and settled in while Laguna proceeded to tell him even more about Winhill. As he listened, Kiros felt the tensions and black void he had carried inside him for months vanish.

The search was over, and now it was time for Kiros Seagill to start living again.


End file.
